Men can be freed from household chores such as washing, vacuuming, and cooking. This is not surprising, since men have historically had less household chores, as their tasks outside the house required a lot of effort. However, soon the women were also able to work, and therefore earn money. There were more "miners", and household chores all the same remained in the hands of the "guardians of the hearth." It turns out that even if a man earns less, he will not do more household chores.
Study
The ability of the fair sex to achieve more outside the home did not baffle researchers in the past, nevertheless, the inability of men to cope with everyday tasks, which may not bring basic earnings, was greatly excited by sociologists.
A study by Harvard specialists shows that when, during the last observation, a certain number of men were unemployed and their wives became the only breadwinners, most of them rarely took on more homework. It is worth noting that those marriages where men still did household chores had a lower risk of divorce associated with unemployment.
Is the whole problem in money?
Experts believe that it is a matter of strict gender norms, but money certainly plays an important role. Research shows that the family member in charge of finance also dictates who does the most unpaid housework.
The author of the study believes that household chores give family relationships the necessary balance of power. Everything is clear here: if the historical harmony, when men work and women monitor the house, is true, then the spouse, who sets and controls the budget, as well as monitors various financial matters, gets the opportunity to "miss" unpaid work within the walls of his house. Harmony is noticeable, but what if equilibrium is unfair?
Statistics
For this study, experts analyzed British families, the total number of which included more than thousands of cohabiting couples aged twenty to sixty years. Participants were asked about what kind of homework they do, what their income is and how they organize their overall family budget. The results showed that working men used money either to get rid of housework, or transferring responsibility for financial management to women, or keeping their money at home. When they resorted to the third option, a certain negotiation process began in the family, in which women, as in history, lost. "A man does without homework for obvious reasons. Such a balance leaves a woman without any particular options. She will have to do all the household chores."
Equality and separate accounts
However, there is an exception when women's money works the same as men's money - this is when they save it. The fair sex, who had their own bank accounts, could bargain with their husbands and wait for a more equitable solution. When finances enter the family through two channels, it is hard to imagine that someone continues to do most of the homework. Nevertheless, this study proved that it is individual accounts that can become a way out in such an unfair situation and force the male gender to wash dishes and vacuum clean.
“If a man alone manages finances and budgets, then something is unlikely to change in such a family,” the researchers say. “Therefore, it is important that everyone has their own income.The employment of women and the elimination of the wage gap will eventually lead to equality, "sociologists summarize. It is worth adding that such a scheme can only be feasible where they really want it.